Article on 'Project Fast and Furious' aka walking guns to MX

[Ashlar]

http://www.publicintegrity.org/articles/entry/2976" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hoping to score a major prosecution of Mexican drug lords, federal prosecutors and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives permitted hundreds of guns to be purchased and retained by suspected straw buyers with the expectation they might cross the border and even be used in crimes while the case was being built, according to documents and interviews.
...
Dodson told the Center he and several of his colleagues wanted to intercept some of the weapons but their objections were repeatedly overruled by ATF supervisors. The supervisors instructed them to simply record the straw purchases in a database, flag them as “suspect,” and monitor the suspected gun runners until evidence piled up about their connections to Mexican drug lords.
...
Dodson said some of the cooperating gun dealers who sold weapons to the suspects at ATF’s behest initially had concerns and wanted to end their sales. One even asked whether the dealers might have a legal liability, but was assured by federal prosecutors they would be protected, he said.

The case logs show ATF supervisors and U.S. attorney’s office lawyers met with some of the gun dealers to discuss their “role” in the case, in one instance as far back as December 2009.

More at the link.

This is a good overview of the whole fiasco.

[Slowplay]

ATF supervisors told agents who disagreed with the strategy that “if you are going to make an omelet you’ve got to scramble some eggs,”

I always heard "you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs." I guess I'm not surprised the feds would be doing such a thing, if they can't even get a common saying right.

It seems to be the norm any more...your borrowed, deficit-spending, future tax liability dollars at work.

[baldeagle]

Sort of blows a big hole in the US-gun-dealers-selling-weapons-used-in Mexico meme, don't you think? It would be more accurate to say "Federal government facilitates smuggling of weapons across the border into Mexico". I predict that you won't be reading many future stories about gun smuggling across the border. It's not good to keep reminding the public of the ineptitude of our government and the bias of the media. I'm certain the guns to Mexico story is now marked DOA at many editors desks.

[hirundo82]

I always heard "you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs." I guess I'm not surprised the feds would be doing such a thing, if they can't even get a common saying right.

It strikes me that the ATF had to know that people, including Americans, were being killed with the weapons they let go but nobody bothered to come forward with the story until people that actually mattered to them (ie fed LEOs) died.

[OldCannon]

I always heard "you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs." I guess I'm not surprised the feds would be doing such a thing, if they can't even get a common saying right.

It strikes me that the ATF had to know that people, including Americans, were being killed with the weapons they let go but nobody bothered to come forward with the story until people that actually mattered to them (ie fed LEOs) died.

"Moral distance"

[Ameer]

Why does anyone expect morality from an agency tasked to enforce unconstitutional laws?

[Poldark]

Obama's change the subject MO.

The worlds falling apart and he comes out with this !

Might need it's own thread ? Separate thread now up. viewtopic.php?f=94&t=43150" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

President Obama: We must seek agreement on gun reforms

It's been more than two months since the tragedy in Tucson stunned the nation. It was a moment when we came together as one people to mourn and to pray for those we lost. And in the attack's turbulent wake, Americans by and large rightly refrained from finger-pointing, assigning blame or playing politics with other people's pain.

full article

http://azstarnet.com/article_011e7118-8 ... dc89d.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Poldark]

Looks like Darrell Issa is going to investigate. Article form Redstate today.

Operation Gun Walker: An Act of War Against Mexico With One American Murdered Already

As the sun is rising this morning, it appears more and more that the Obama Administration committed an actual, factual act of war against Mexico through sheer incompetence that has left at least one American border patrol agent murdered.

What if I told you that the Obama Administration’s Justice Department authorized the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (the “ATF”) to rig gun background checks so gun runners could “walk” guns into Mexico after clearing an instant background check at various gun stores in the U.S.?

Rest of the article and comments :

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/03/1 ... ack-obama/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

also ,more here on Darrell Issa and links

http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-n ... alker-fray" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Slowplay]

Update:

Obama claims that neither he nor AG Eric Holder knew about or authorized Operation Fast and Furious. He wasn't able to say who did authorize it, stating "this is a pretty big government, the United States Government."

I guess the Inspector General has been tasked to investigate. Obama was confident, however, that if he wasn't informed, he is certain that Mexico was not informed either (apparently the U.S. Government isn't SO big that he is certain of that).

Story from My San Antonio:
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/texas-on-t ... -about-it/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[stevie_d_64]

How's all this new style of policing and investigating working out for y'all???

Tell you what...This is the same template used in so many other things this government does that it would surprise me if anything is discovered in time to make a difference...

When we all know what happened...It took those dealers being used by the ATF and their handlers to finally come forward and confirm what ONE agent who finally had enough said something...

Most of the attention will be given to the agent and those dealers to try to discover "their" motivations in exposing this absolute atrocity of action by the government...To what ends they (government) thought would come of this "operation/sting" (whatever you want to call it), obviously didn't expect it to go this way...

So why did they (ATF/Justice Dept/Government in general) pursue this course??? In this manner??? Those are the questions that need to be asked, and we should expect a straight answer...Not that we'll get one, because we might not like a truthful answer...

Just my opinion...

[hirundo82]

ATF says Gunwalker scandal shows need for more gun laws and more money.

When you have a $1.1 billion per year agency policing an industry that is at most $4 billion per year, I suppose you have to do something to justify your budget.

From the same site: ATF's attache to Mexico, in charge of coordinating operations with Mexican authorities, not informed of Gunwalker.